The use of smoking and breaktaking to reduce job-related stress among registered nurses

Abstract

Hospital nursing can produce stress. How nurses cope with that stress can affect patient care and personal health. This study was conducted to describe the coping methods, particularly breaktaking and smoking, used to reduce job-related stress. Research questions were: (1) what are the coping methods used by medical-surgical nurses to reduce job-related stress during work; (2) is breaktaking used as a coping method, (3) is smoking used as a coping method; (4) under what circumstances are breaks taken; (5) how are breaks described; (6) is breaktaking perceived to be helpful in reducing job related stress; (7) is there an association between smoking and breaktaking, and (8) do smokers perceive breaktaking to be more helpful in reducing job-related stress than do nonsmokers. A convenience sample of 101 registered nurses working adult medical-surgical units from three hospitals completed a questionnaire designed by the investigator. Data analyses included frequency distributions, percentages, means, and t-tests. The coping method used most frequently (52%) was ''Keep working, but talk to co-workers." When feeling stress, 21% usually take a break other than lunch/supper and 35% usually take lunch/supper. Smokers use breaks significantly more often ii when feeling stress than do nonsmokers (£ = .007). When feeling stress, 27% of the smokers usually take a break and smoke and 19% keep working and smoke. The circumstance that most frequently determined taking a break other than lunch/supper was having to arrange own time (75%); for lunch/supper it was having a light workload (79%). The most frequent activity on a break other than lunch/supper was being interrupted (78%). On lunch/supper it was eating (89%). Breaks other than lunch/supper are usually in the nursing lounge (63%) and lunch/supper is usually off the unit (58%). A break other than lunch/supper is perceived by 53% to somewhat decrease stress and lunch/ supper somewhat decreases stress for 59%. Smokers usually have a cigarette when on break other than lunch/supper (84%) and also with lunch/supper (88%). Smokers take breaks other than lunch/supper significantly more often than nonsmokers (p < .001), experience more positive effects (p = .0222), and perceive break other than lunch/ supper to be significantly more helpful in reducing stress (p = .0107).